Why start churches?

Jesus commissioned his followers to go and make disciples: Mission and Spiritual Formation. These two values should drive us to start new churches in Canada. Jesus calls us to make disciples, and his chosen vehicle for doing so is the local church. Many studies document the fact that the single best way to reach new people with the gospel and help them grow in their faith is to start new churches. Within the ECC, conversion rates are more than 3 times higher among church plants.

If we care about our friends, family, neighbours and co-workers... if we take seriously Jesus’ call to disciple men and women of all generations... we must start churches – churches that have a passion for Jesus, understand our changing culture, and are intentional about reaching lost and hurting people. We are doing this.

Church Vitality

As a conference we not only have a strong commitment to start churches, but our ministry priority is also to strengthen churches. The congregational vitality pathway is a process designed to help our existing churches with an on-site healthy missional check up, but also provide the follow-up support and resources for each local church to take next steps in moving toward becoming a healthy missional church.

Presently we have seven churches in the ECCC gaining missional momentum as they journey this pathway. Gerald Froese, Director of Church Vitality, would love to have conversations with the leadership teams of each of our churches regarding the timing, potential and implications of a healthy missional check up for their church.